Engineered fence pickets with ship lapped edges

ABSTRACT

An engineered wood fence picket and system for manufacturing fence pickets using engineered wood products, including, but not limited to, oriented-strand board (OSB), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), fiber strand, and/or laminated strand lumber (LSL). The opposing right and left edges of each picket has corresponding elements of a joint, such as, but not limited to, a shiplap joint or tongue-and-groove joint. A fence or fence segment may be constructed by aligning a plurality of said fence pickets vertically or horizontally so that the edges of adjacent pickets mate or meet to form a joint. The fence can be assembled more quickly and cheaply than with any prior art materials, and the fence will be higher quality, with longer life, thinner and lighter, and minimal maintenance.

This application claims benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/711,496, filed Jul. 28, 2018, which is incorporated herein by specific reference for all purposes.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a system for an engineered fence picket comprising engineered wood components. More particularly, this invention related to an engineered fence picket with ship lapped edges.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention comprises an engineered wood fence picket and system for manufacturing fence pickets using engineered wood products, including, but not limited to, oriented-strand board (OSB), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), fiber strand, and/or laminated strand lumber (LSL). The opposing right and left edges of each picket comprise corresponding elements of a joint, such as, but not limited to, a shiplap joint or tongue-and-groove joint. A fence or fence segment may be constructed by aligning a plurality of said fence pickets vertically or horizontally so that the edges of adjacent pickets mate or meet to form a joint. Engineered wood products provide the authentic look and appeal of real wood, but with the durability and workability of treated engineered wood, free of knots, voids and other defects found in natural wood.

Currently, the fencing industry uses solid lumber pickets for most residential applications. Solid wood pickets expand and contract over time with weather changes, and warp and distort with age. To overcome these problems, prior art systems typically “stack” solid wood pickets by installing a first line of pickets on the fence rails, then nailing another set of fence pickets over the gaps left between adjacent pickets in the first line. With the present invention, an improved fence can be assembled more quickly and cheaply than with any prior art materials, and the fence will be higher quality, with longer life, thinner and lighter, and minimal maintenance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention with shiplap joint elements.

FIG. 2 shows a view of a series of vertical overlapping shiplapped fence pickets of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention with tongue-and-groove joint elements.

FIG. 4 shows a view of a series of vertical overlapping tongue-and-groove fence pickets of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a view of a series of horizontally overlapping fence pickets with fence posts and a cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention comprises an engineered wood fence picket and system for manufacturing fence pickets using engineered wood products, including, but not limited to, oriented-strand board (OSB), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), fiber strand, and/or laminated strand lumber (LSL). The opposing right and left edges of each picket comprise corresponding elements of a joint, such as, but not limited to, a shiplap joint or tongue-and-groove joint. A fence or fence segment may be constructed by aligning a plurality of said fence pickets vertically or horizontally so that the edges of adjacent pickets mate or meet to form a joint. Engineered wood products provide the authentic look and appeal of real wood, but with the durability and workability of treated engineered wood, free of knots, voids and other defects found in natural wood.

Currently, the fencing industry uses solid lumber pickets for most residential applications. Solid wood pickets expand and contract over time with weather changes, and warp and distort with age. To overcome these problems, prior art systems typically “stack” solid wood pickets by installing a first line of pickets on the fence rails, then nailing another set of fence pickets over the gaps left between adjacent pickets in the first line. With the present invention, an improved fence can be assembled more quickly and cheaply than with any prior art materials, and the fence will be higher quality, with longer life, thinner and lighter, and minimal maintenance.

The manufacturing process begins with an entire piece of exterior grade engineered wood panel or siding, which comes out of a line press with wood texture. The siding also may or may not have a paper overlay. In the embodiment shown, the siding is approximately 8 feet by 24 feet in dimension, although the siding may be other sizes as well. An example of such a manufacturing process is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/189,995, which is incorporated herein by specific reference for all purposes.

The piece of siding then is sawn into three equal sections or “blanks.” Where the siding is approximately 8 feet by 24 feet in dimension, the blanks are approximately 6 feet by 8 feet in dimension. The blank is then sent to a slitting machine or multiple sawline where the blank is cut into a number of raw pickets. In one embodiment, the pickets are 6 inches to 12 inches wide, and 6 feet in length. The raw pickets are then directed to a milling machine, where one end of each picket may be milled to create a top feature (e.g., a series of notches, indentations, grooves, dog-ears, curved ends, flat ends, and the like. Additional priming, finishing or texture may be added to the face(s) and edge(s) of the pickets (or to the fence blank, pre-cutting) as well. The resulting product is a number of finished fence pickets ready for installation.

During the manufacturing process described herein, the edges of each picket are milled in-line with corresponding parts of a desired joint, including, but not limited, a shiplap joint or tongue-and-groove joint. FIG. 1 shows an example where the left 12 and right 14 edges of the picket 10 have been milled with corresponding, complementary or matching halves, parts, elements or components of a shiplap joint (i.e., shiplap edges). A shiplap joint is a flat, edge-to-edge joint formed by overlapping rabbets or recesses cut into opposite faces of adjoining boards or picket. As seen in FIG. 1, the first joint element 32 is cut into the first (or front) face 22 of the picket, while the second joint element 34 is cut into the second (or back) face 24 of the same picket. As described below, this allows complementary first and second joint elements of adjacent pickets to be mated or joined to form the complete joint. The joint allows the individual pickets to expand and contract without opening gaps between the pickets.

The dimensions of the picket and joint elements may vary as needed for the particular fence installation. In one exemplary embodiment, the picket is 23/32″ thick, and the ship lap joint elements are ¾″ in width, with ⅜″ thickness of wood remaining in the joint.

During installation of a fence using the pickets of the present invention, the corresponding joint elements on the edges of adjacent pickets can be overlapped in sequence as pickets are installed (typically by fastening the picket vertically on rails or cross-supports extending between fence posts installed in the ground), thereby forming a shiplap joint therebetween, as seen in FIG. 2. This allows a single layer of pickets to be installed, as opposed to a double layer, forming first and second faces of the fence segment from the corresponding substantially flush faces of the respective fence pickets. As seen in FIG. 2, the first (or front) face 22 of each picket is substantially parallel to and in a plane with the first face of each other picket in that fence segment (e.g., between two posts), and the second (or back) face 24 of each picket is substantially parallel to and in a plane with the second face of each other picket in that fence segment. The first faces of pickets thus form the first or front face 122 of the fence segment, and the second faces of the same pickets form the second or back face 124 of the fence segment. Even with some deformation of the picket, the overlapping in the shiplap joints will be maintained, thereby preventing visible gaps between pickets and maintaining privacy. Installation of the shiplapped pickets as a single layer is faster, requires less material, and results in a cost savings for the consumer.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternative embodiment where the edges of the pickets comprise corresponding elements of a tongue-and-groove joint (e.g., a tongue element 42 and a groove element 42 that receives the tongue element to form the joint). Pickets are joined by inserting the tongue element on one picket into the groove element on an adjacent picket, in sequence. This forms a fence segment with a single layer of pickets with similar benefits and characteristics to the shiplapped pickets described above.

In a further embodiment, as seen in FIG. 5, the fence pickets 10 may be manufactured to extend horizontally, with the jointed edges on the respective top and bottom edges of each picket. In this embodiment, the ends of the picket may not be manufactured with dog-ears or similar features, but may be fashioned to be inserted into slots or openings 84 in the sides of the fence posts 80, said slots or openings configured with corresponding joint elements, or portions thereof, to receive the picket end joint element, or may be otherwise fastened to the fence posts. The topmost picket may have its top edge inserted into a corresponding joint element in the underside of a cap rail 82. The joints may be oriented to resist the introduction of water into the joint (e.g., for a tongue-and-groove joint arrangement, the bottom edge of each horizontal picket would be the groove element and the top edge would be the tongue element). In further embodiments, other forms or variations of edge-to-edge joints known in the art may be used instead, including, but not limited to, other variations of rabbet or tongue-and-groove joints, with the complementary joint elements along the opposite edges of each picket.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an exterior or outdoor fence with enhanced durability, weather-resistance, fade resistance, and aesthetics at a lower cost and faster installation as compared to prior art fences and materials.

Thus, it should be understood that the embodiments and examples described herein have been chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical applications to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited for particular uses contemplated. Even though specific embodiments of this invention have been described, they are not to be taken as exhaustive. There are several variations that will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A fencing system, comprising: a plurality of fence pickets, wherein at least some of said plurality of fence pickets comprise an elongated picket with a top, a bottom, a first face, a second face, a first edge, and a second edge; wherein the first edge comprises a first joint element and the second edge comprises a second joint element; and further wherein said fence pickets are arranged adjacent to each other edge-to-edge to form a fence section such that the corresponding first joint elements and second joint elements mate to form the corresponding joint between adjacent fence pickets.
 2. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the corresponding joint is a shiplap joint.
 3. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the corresponding joint is a tongue-and-groove joint.
 4. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence section comprises only a single layer of fence pickets.
 5. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence section is made of no more than one layer of fence pickets.
 6. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence section comprises a first face and a section face.
 7. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the first face of the fence section is formed from the first faces of the arranged fence pickets, and the second face of the fence section is formed from the second faces of said arranged fence pickets.
 8. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the first faces of the arranged fence pickets are co-planar.
 9. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the second faces of the arranged fence pickets are co-planar.
 10. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence pickets are arranged vertically.
 11. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence pickets are arranged horizontally.
 12. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein the fence pickets comprise engineered wood in whole or in part.
 13. The fencing system of claim 12, wherein said engineered wood comprises one or more of oriented-strand board (OSB), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), fiber strand, or laminated strand lumber (LSL).
 14. The fencing system of claim 1, wherein said tops of said plurality of fence pickets comprise a top feature.
 15. The fencing system of claim, said fence pickets further comprising a paper overlay. 